Director
Dr. Qi wang
Qi Wang is Joan K. and Irwin M. Jacobs professor of human development and psychology at Cornell University. Her research integrates developmental, cognitive, and sociocultural perspectives to examine the mechanisms underlying the development of a variety of social-cognitive skills, including autobiographical memory, self, future thinking, and emotion knowledge. She also studies the impact of Internet and social media as a cultural force unique to our time on memory, sociocognitive functioning, and well-being. A graduate of Peking University, China, Qi Wang earned a Ph.D. in psychology in 2000 at Harvard University. She has received many honors and awards and has over two hundred publications in scientific journals and volumes of collected works. Her single-authored book, The Autobiographical Self in Time and Culture (2013, OUP), is regarded as a definitive work on culture and autobiographical memory.
Graduate researchers
Ezgi Bilgin
Ezgi is a final-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Psychology with a minor in cognitive science. She received her M.A. in cognitive psychology from Koç University, Turkey. Her research focuses on the impact of the Internet and social media on memory. She studies how digital platforms shape remembering and forgetting, and the cognitive and cultural mechanisms underlying these processes. Besides, she is an avid runner, and one of her dreams is to run in the Boston marathon.
CAGLA DUMAN
Cagla is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science. Before joining the Culture & Cognition Lab, she received her M.A. degree in cognitive psychology from Bogazici University, Turkey. Broadly, her research examines autobiographical memory processes, with a focus on how culture shapes emotional memories and the ways people narrate their personal experiences. Other than research, Cagla enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time in nature.
Olivia L. Jäggi
Olivia is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Psychology with a minor in cognitive science. Before joining the Culture & Cognition Lab, she received her B.A. in psychology from UC Berkeley, and then spent two years working as a research technician in the Roediger Lab at Washington University in St. Louis. Olivia is interested in the way people perceive and remember absences, and how culture influences those processes. In her free time, Olivia enjoys creating art, baking, building intricate structures in Minecraft, and she's a club officer at the Cornell University Judo Club!
YI CAO
Yi Cao is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychology. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Psychology from Peking University, China. His research primarily focuses on how Eastern and Western cultures influence sense of humor. More recently, he has also been exploring how artificial intelligence affects human behavior. Other than research, he enjoys exercising and traveling.
WANZI LI
Wanzi Li received a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University in 2024–2025 and is currently a Research Assistant. Her master’s research examined the relationship between self-defining memories and well-being. Her research interests focus on the processes of human memory and the mechanisms behind false memories. Beyond academia, she enjoys music and traveling.
Boyang Zhou
Boyang (Sophia) is a first year MA student in Human Development, Developmental Psychology. She received her B.S. in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience and Math & Econ in University of California, San Diego. She has a broad interest in learning and memory, economic decision making, and sociocultural factors that influence children's social and cognitive development. Other than research, Sophia loves playing ping pong and enjoys K-pop music.
Undergraduate researchers
JOSEPHINE KELLY
Josephine is a Junior in the College of Arts & Sciences double majoring in Cognitive Science and Information Science. She is fascinated by studies of human psychology, specifically centering around sociocultural nuances and memory. Focusing through a pre-medical track lens, Josephine is inspired by the different ways we perceive the world. Outside of the lab, she is on the Cornell Assistive Technology project team, educating and inspiring wide audiences on adapted devices for those with disabilities; it is invaluable to consider individual capabilities and perspectives in design. She also enjoys swimming and reading in her free time.
